Center for Teaching and Learning

Community: When students understand they are part of a community, it's easier for them to invest in themselves as learners. By focusing on the shared goal of student success, instructors can foster strong relationships that provide opportunities for student growth. This allows students to learn with and from each other, supports inclusivity in the classroom, and creates a safe place to learn.

Collaboration: Learning that is interactive and engaging is both meaningful and beneficial to students. Providing structured activities such as peer-to-peer learning enhances comprehension, leads to greater retention of material, and provides formative assessment data to guide instruction.

Communication: Strong communication begins with student-centered messaging and extends to a structured syllabus with clear learning objectives that map to assignments. Use of rubrics, and helpful feedback provides direction, as well as reassurance.

Students in our classes come with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Understanding these differences when crafting your course is a cornerstone of sound pedagogy. Building pathways to success for all learners is the goal and allows for curricular choices that consider all members of the classroom community. At its core, inclusive pedagogy is a student-centered approach to learning in which there is a commitment to ensuring that all students can and will succeed.

Engaging students in the learning process is key to successful outcomes, but is increasingly challenging in the Covid-19 pandemic when students are feeling overwhelmed and challenged. Understanding the specific research-supported strategies that can foster engagement is essential -- and possible, with an understanding of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral mechanisms.